I very much agree with Gregory's assessment of the excellent blend of Semillion and Sauvignon blanc which characterises the best Bordeaux Blanc wines. A favorite of mine over the years has been Chateau Doisy Daene, made by a producer known mainly for hissweet whites, his Barsac and Sauternes - Pierre Dubordieu. But his dry white Doisy Daene was a superb and complex little wine as he always seemed to extract the maximum out of the more lush and floral Semillion whilst keeping it bone dry with the Sauvignon Blanc. I would say that a good white Graves that really exploits the Semillion is definitely a finer and more complex summer wine than the straight single grape Sauvignon Blanc that are so ubiquitous.

I really hate to say this but the more Sauvignon Blanc I drink the less I like it. I open a bottle that comes highly recommended and it tastes like a grapefruit, a lemon or worse. I wait for the edges to round off but it just does not happen. So, we drink half of it and open a good french chardonnay. I bought several bottles of Shug the other day expecting a surprise. Didn't happen. I know what you're thinking: If you don't like it don't buy it! I agree. However, there must be something I'm missing here and I'm just trying to discover what that is.

Starchase, that is why I am so glad there is a wine for every palate! I recently tried Altamura Sauvignon Blanc and didn't like it. But there are a slew of SB's that I really enjoy for their bracing flavors. And, of course, I love ALL the reds that Altamura produces.

Learned much from such notes and observations.Thanks.Do also try Indian wines.One of the upcoming New World countries and doing damn good.The magic in their produce is because of maturity with world knowledge and the immense possibilities within the vastly different terroirs the country has.

I HAVE to chime in here and plug SB from Friuli Venezia Giulia! Especially when you talk about the best examples from the Colli Orientali and Collio areas... The best have all the great aromas that SB lovers want, but more body and depth than Alto Adige and the venerated New Zealanders.
That said.. Sauvignon blanc and no Loire? Are there simply no bargains there?

I totally agree with Wayne-Young, Italian SB's from top producers in the regions Friuli and Alto Adige belong to the best of the world. E.g. Vie di Romans' Piere Sauvignon, Tiefenbrunner's Kirchleiten Sauvignon, Terlano's Quarz sauvignon and Santi Canziani's sauvignon. Also Draga Miklus makes a very good SB. And a tip for STARCHASE (!) PLEASE DO TRY THE PIERE SAUVIGNON FROM VIE DI ROMANS ... CHARDONNAY LOVERS DO LIKE THIS FAT SAUVIGNON (yes, this SB has some fat and is lovely oily without losing its typical freshness).

Great bargains from the Loire Valley can be found in the Touraine region. The best examples (if you like more depth and body, smooth without green edges, fresh but not too much acidity) I had so far are from Domaine Gibault. Forget about their entry-level Touraine, you might think you are drinking lemon water ... but DO try their cuvées Platine Vieilles Vignes and Evasion. They are excellent SB's !